Heather Report Part II is the 11th episode in the DreamWorks Dragons: Riders of Berk series. It mainly features the character Heather, who was introduced in episode 10 Heather Report Part I. It aired on November 21, 2012. (at 8:00 on Cartoon Network). It is preceded by Heather Report Part I and succeeded by Thawfest.

Contents

Overview

After helping Alvin acquire the Book of Dragons and being proved as traitor, Heather is locked up in prison. Meanwhile, Hiccup and the gang devise a plan to get the Book back from Alvin, that mainly involves Astrid impersonating Heather.

Plot

The episode opens with Heather running through the forest, trying to escape from something. She approaches a boat, but before she reaches it, it ignites into flames after being shot by Stormfly and Astrid, who were flying close by. The scene shifts into a prison, where Heather is thrown into a cell, the door quickly locked behind her. Astrid tells her through the bars of the cell she can escape as many times as she wants, but she will never leave the island, implying she has escaped from the same cell multiple times. Heather protests, trying to tell her something about her parents, but Astrid stops her, and asks her what happened to her story about the pirates. Heather admits she made up the story, but before she says anything else, Astrid leaves.

The scene shifts to Outcast Island, where Savage and some of Alvin's men confront a wild Gronckle, who appears to be guarding the Book of Dragons. Savage ponders ways to get the book, and discusses his ideas with another soldier. The other Outcast, unintelligent, suggests getting the Book of Dragons to help them, only to be told they're trying to get the Book from the Gronckle. Savage convinces him to attempt to grab the book, stating they've learned Gronckles are actually very gentle. As if to prove his point, the Gronckle does not appear dangerous, as it scratches a spot on its chin, its eyes large and puppy-like. The second warrior, convinced, slowly approaches, but before he grabs the Book, the Gronckle steps on it, and snarls at him, before attacking. What happens is not shown, but it is implied the soldier was badly burned. Savage is discouraged, but attempts to grab the Book himself, receiving the same hostile reaction from the Gronckle.

Back at the Dragon Academy, the riders train with their Dragons in preparation for a mission to recover the Book of Dragons from Alvin the Treacherous. Fishlegs and Meatlug work on their technique, aided by Snotlout. Snotlout uses a small catapult to shoot a boulder at them, and Meatlug catches the boulder, swallowing it. Fishlegs complains the shot was rather close, and the two bicker. Hiccup attempts to make them stop, but stresses Fishlegs by stating they have only one opportunity to get back the Book. During training, Hookfang becomes restless, and ignites into flames. Snotlout rushes over and quickly bends his horns to the ground. Hookfang collapses, and instantly relaxes and calms down. Snotlout explains to the others Hookfang likes having his horns bent to the ground, and Fishlegs especially seems surprised by this. Ruffnut points out Tuffnut also likes having his horns bent to the ground, and tackles him, performing a similar maneuver with his helmet. Oddly, Tuffnut enjoys this, proving her statement to be true. Fishlegs tells everyone this training will be good when they have the book, but Alvin won't simply give it to them. Astrid walks over and tells them he might hand it over to Heather, causing Fishlegs to ask if she had been eating Dragon nip again (This implies Dragon nip has an unusual effect on humans, and causes them to act irrationally). Astrid quickly reacts, punching him in the stomach, and Fishlegs complains, asking why she always had to be so violent. Astrid retorts the punch wasn't violence, but communication. Fishlegs once more states he believes she had eaten Dragon nip, and Astrid punches him in the stomach again.

The scene changes to night time, where the teens wait in front of a boat. Fishlegs is nervous, worried their plan might not work, and panics, but Hiccup calmly reassures him their strategy will work. After he says this, Heather appears from the woods, and the twins react with hostility. However, she knocks the twins off and speaks, and they realize it's Astrid in disguise. She gets on the boat and sails away to Outcast Island, with Hiccup telling her to be safe, in an apologetic tone, possibly feeling guilty he had not believed her when she told him the real Heather was a spy.

The episode shifts back to Berk's prison, where Bucket brings in food for Heather. He realizes that she is missing, and opens the cell door, stating "Not again!" implying once more that she has escaped multiple times. However, the scene shows that Heather is in the cell, clinging to the ceiling. She attacks Bucket, and gets out of the cell, locking him inside, stating that she has to get to Outcast Island, and nothing is going to stop her...

On Outcast Island, Astrid approaches the shore, but quickly ducks into her boat to avoid being attacked by a wild Monstrous Nightmare that flies past. The dragon flies away, but its actions quickly reveal that the dragons on the island are hostile. She lands on the island, and is greeted by Savage, who states he thought she had been captured. She replies that she escaped, attempting to make her voice the same pitch as Heather's. She is startled when Savage tells the Outcasts to get rid of her, stating they no longer need her anymore. Astrid attempts to convince Savage that they do need her, stating that the Book is useful only if one knows how to use it, and supporting her claim by telling them that she has been among the Hairy Hooligans, and has seen how they work with the Dragons. Savage decides to spare her, and takes her to Alvin. Later, Savage reads the section in the Book of Dragons on Deadly Nadders, and attempts to tame one by appealing to its vanity. He approaches the Dragon, and awkwardly compliments it. He at first accurately compliments her, calling her a beautiful girl, but, being unsure of her gender, asks if she is actually a handsome boy. This insults the Nadder, and she attacks him. He agrees to let "Heather" assist the Outcasts in taming Dragons.

Meanwhile, Heather wakes up a sleeping Stormfly and startles her, narrowly avoiding being injured by a volley of tail spines. However, once again, she successfully gains the Dragon's trust and steals her, stating they are going to find Astrid. Stormfly recognizes her rider's name, and quickly takes off towards Outcast Island (This implies Heather was aware of the teen Vikings' plan to retrieve the Book of Dragons).

Back in Outcast territory, Astrid tries to prove to Alvin she is capable of controlling Dragons. Alvin throws her into a caged ring similar to Berk's Dragon Academy, where she will be given a wild Dragon to tame. She faces a closed door, hoping for the Dragon to be a Deadly Nadder. To her dismay, the Dragon that emerges is a fierce pink and olive-yellow Monstrous Nightmare. Astrid, upset, mutters this is the one time she wishes Snotlout were present. She attempts to tame the Nightmare, but due to using tactics normally meant for Deadly Nadders (Not standing directly in front of the snout, and approaching towards the tail), she fails to do so. However, before the Dragon harms her, she remembers when Snotlout had stated that Hookfang, his Monstrous Nightmare, liked having his horns bent to the ground. She follows the same technique and succeeds in taming the Nightmare, who respects her and obeys her orders. She takes up the Book of Dragons and attempts to leave the island on the Dragon, but Alvin stops her, asking her if she was going to leave her parents there. Astrid realizes Heather's parents were captured, and were used to blackmail her into stealing the Book. Alvin states he will let them go if she gives him the Book, but if she leaves with it, he will kill them. Alvin sends Heather's parents over, and Astrid runs towards them and cries out, "Mom!, Dad!" before hugging them. They are temporarily confused, aware she is not their daughter, but Astrid quickly explains in a hushed voice she's Heather's friend, and has come to help, so they play along. Alvin once more demands for the book, and Astrid comes up with a plan to escape. She hurriedly tells Heather's parents to duck to the ground when she tells them to. She turns to the Nightmare, and apologizes to it, before punching it on the snout, enraging it. The Bragon ignites and shoots a ball of fire, but Astrid and Heather's parents duck, and it flies over them, almost hitting Alvin and his men. Astrid and Heather's parents make a run for it, but the plan fails, and Alvin catches Astrid by her hair. He becomes aware something is wrong, as his hand comes away with an ashy mark, revealing Astrid's real hair color is not black.

Meanwhile, Hiccup and the others wait in a burnt-down forest on the island for Astrid with growing anxiety. Fishlegs panics, saying she is several hours late, and Hiccup reassures him, telling him she'll be there, because she's Astrid. Astrid arrives with Heather's parents, and Hiccup flies over on Toothless, the other teens staying behind. As they land, Heather's parents are frightened of the Night Fury. Hiccup is confused, but Astrid explains Heather's parents were prisoners of Alvin. As Hiccup suggests leaving, Alvin and his men surround them, and Alvin states he's not surprised Hiccup came. The two exchange a few catches of conversation, before Hiccup gives a signal, and the other trainers reveal themselves.

The trainers and their dragons battle the Outcasts. Unfortunately, there are too many warriors, and they slowly begin to lose. Some Dragons were entangled in nets and ropes, and even Toothless' fire doesn't damage Outcast shields. However, when it seemed they might fail to defeat the warriors, Heather and Stormfly arrive to assist them. Soon the teens carry out their plan, using the skills they learned while training. Meatlug swallows boulders shot at her, and sends them back as molten balls of fire, destroying the Outcasts' catapults, and Snotlout uses Hookfang to ignite Stormfly's tail spines, effectively making them like burning arrows. Alvin, furious, orders his men to shoot down the trainers with the remaining catapults. One attack hits Astrid, and she falls off of Stormfly's back. Alvin picks her up and carries her off, Hiccup being the only one to give chase. Alvin is cornered at the edge of a steep cliff, and he threatens to toss Astrid into the ocean if Hiccup does not surrender. However, the pink and olive-yellow Monstrous Nightmare Astrid tamed comes to her rescue, and together the teens fly safely to Berk, having carried out their mission and retrieved the book. Alvin, seeing how easily a Dragon bonded to its rider, decides to stop going after the Book, and to try to capture Hiccup instead, an ominous grin spreading across his features.

Back on Berk, Stoick and Gobber give some supplies to Heather's parents on board a boat to sail back to their home, and the teens apologize to Heather for not believing her. Heather tells them it's okay, as she would have had trouble believing herself. She thanks them for their help, and thanks Astrid most of all. Hiccup tells her if she ever needs help, she can call them. She promises she will. The ship sails away, with Heather watching the teens wave goodbye. Snotlout stands apart from them, and makes a motion of writing on his palm, asking her to write him. Heather shakes her head slightly, with a smile on her face, gently refusing. Hiccup ends the story with his closing narration:

"Ever since dragons showed up on Berk, we've learnt to expect the unexpected. But every once in a while, something or someone comes along that surprises you. And when that happens, you kind of hate to see them go."

Trivia

It is shown Astrid is stronger than the twins combined (shown when she knocks the twins on the ground).

Heather's parents appear to be recolored background extras from Berk.

This is the second time Outcast Island appears (the first time it appears is in the episode Alvin & the Outcasts) this time however it is shown longer and even the end battle between the Dragon Riders of Berk and the Outcasts is on the island.

This is the first episode in which Gobber has no dialogue.

Outcast Island is smaller than Berk and also appears to be a barren island.

The Outcasts have there own version of the Dragon Training Arena though with a much cruder design than the Dragon Training Academy of Berk.

Snotlout has made his first actual interesting and helpful discovery about what Monstrous Nightmares like and what can instantly calm an angered Monstrous Nightmare down (pin its horns to the ground).

Alvin's opinion of Hiccup has drastically changed. The first time he met Hiccup he referred to him as Stoick's little embarrassment. In this episode he offers him a partnership in his plan to use trained Dragons to conquer the archipalego.

This is the first time Savage disagrees/argues with Alvin. Alvin doesn't mind because Savage had a good argument (the Book of Dragons contained a lot of knowledge and its knowledge was likely to bear fruit eventually). However Alvin is likely right as getting the knowledge from the Viking who was the first one to ever ride one is even more valuable and will bring results faster than the knowledge of the Book of Dragons.

A bit of the Monstrous Nightmare's intelligence is shown as merely seconds after the tamed Monstrous Nightmare leaves his feral state he is immediately able to identify both friends and foes.

In this episode Alvin has seen three new things referring to Dragon training. He witnessed the bonding between a Dragon and its rider, a Dragon's immense loyalty to its rider and the ferocity with which a Dragon will protect its rider.

If you look closely you can see when Toothless had to hold his fire, he choked a bit.

It is unknown if the Outcast soldier who tried to get the Book of Dragons died or merely lost his honor, his pride and his dignity. Also the fate of the two other Outcast soldiers is unknown.

It is unknown if Savage killed the wild Gronckle or if he captured it (which seems more fitting considering they want to ride Dragons).

When Hiccup and the teens ambush Alvin, the Book of Dragons is tucked in his pants, but in the next scene, it is tucked in his belt.

This is the first episode in the first season that didn't have Hiccup's narration at the beginning of the episode.

When Hiccup tells the twins to cover fire, Tuffnut's vest is gone.

During the fight, Astrid grabs a shield with the Outcast crest on it. In another shot, the crest is gone.

At the end of the episode, Heather hugs and thanks Astrid for saving her family, and if you look closely at Hiccup, he was expecting a hug from Heather also.